Project Kahn is just cranking out tuning projects. We just reported on the Panamera RS600 upgrade kit, now the British tuner has revealed the Silver Jeep Wrangler package, a sportier and aggressively smoother version of the package unveiled at the beginning of 2011.
The new Silver edition has received a lowered suspension and a new set of RS wheels, size 9 X 20 and wrapped in 275 x 55 x 20 tires. For the interior, the tuner added a whole new personalized bespoke leather treatment. In fact, all of the interior will be tailor-made to the customer’s own specifications. However, like with the previous package, no changes were made under the hood.
"This is not only an adventurous vehicle it is a style icon – well groomed and bursting with aggression. The vehicle ascertains personality and strength, and would not look out of place in both rough terrain and the city center," said Afzal Kahn.
The 45th Moab Easter Jeep Safari isn’t scheduled until April 16, 2011, but even this early, Jeep is already giving us a look at what to expect when the annual event commences in a little over a week’s time.
The annual tradition for Jeep and Chrysler’s aftermarket company Mopar has become a must-attend event for Jeep and Mopar fans alike. This year, the event is going to have six new concepts, including the monstrous and imposing Jeep Wrangler Blue Crush.
In what Jeep describes as an off-terrain monster that combines “high-speed off-road racing and rock-crawling capability," the Wrangler Blue Crush’s powertrain is anything but a tweeting little bird. Sitting under the utility vehicle’s hood is a Mopar 426 cubic-inch HEMI V8 engine with an output of 540 horsepower and mated to a 545RFE performance transmission and a gear-drive transfer-case.
Apart from the hulking engine and powerful performance capabilities, the Blue Crush also sports a baja-style full cage, short aluminum bumpers, a special off-road suspension system with internal bypass shocks, a front stabilizer bar, full hydro-steering, and in case you haven’t noticed yet, a set of 39” tires that are as imposing as they are useful in allowing the off-road vehicle to navigate rocky and uneven terrains.
There’s absolutely nothing cute and funky about this beastly off-roader. The Jeep Wrangler Blue Crush means serious business.
UPDATE 11/07/2011: The Jeep Wrangler Blue Crush was displayed at the current SEMA Show and we were there to take some live shots. Find them in the picture gallery and let us know what you think about this extreme Wrangler.
Every year, Jeep and Mopar hold a special event for fans of the two brands. Now on its 45th year, the Moab Easter Jeep Safari has become an annual convergence of some eye-catching Jeep concepts, all of which have been made specifically for the event.
The 45th Moab Easter Jeep Safari is scheduled for April 16th, 2011, but with more than a week left before the event begins, we’ve already gotten a few sneak peeks on the six concepts that are expected to appear on the show.
This year, the event will feature three customized Jeep Wrangler models with one being given the designation as the ‘Renegade’. Just like the Blue Crush and the Pork Chop, the Renegade comes with its own unique features courtesy of Chrysler’s aftermarket company, Mopar.
Of the many modifications given to the Wrangler, the Renegade model now sports a powerful 6.4-liter HEMI V8 engine that produces 475 horsepower and mated to a six-speed manual transmission. In addition to the improvements done on the off-roader’s powertrain, Mopar also gave the Renegade a bevy of new items, including a heat dissipating hood, a new fuel door, sill guards, a bikini top, rock rails, slush mats, a half-door kit, a new winch-mounted front bumper, and a set of 35” Mickey Thompson Baja Claw radials that have been mounted on AEV Pintler wheels.
It may not be as jarring as the Blue Crush or as peculiar as the Pork Chop, but the Renegade still holds a commanding and intimidating presence by the mere sight of it. The fact that it’s tailor-made for rough and tough terrain is a true indication of the off-roader’s capabilities.
We’ve seen so many cars with numerous tuning programs these days that it’s becoming really tough to figure out which ones best suit our tastes. But if you happen to be looking in the market for a luxurious sports utility vehicle that clearly has a name and identity all its own, then look no further than the SportChassis’ P4XL.
An intimidating exterior look belies the luxurious interior that it comes with; the P4XL is the personification of a rugged luxury, all built in one powerful package.
But power, so people say, also has its share of drawbacks, and the P4XL is no exception. The utility vehicle is powered by an 8.3-liter diesel engine that produces 330 horsepower and 1,000 lb/ft of torque, making it a nightmare for advocates of eco-friendly vehicles. If you’re not one of them, though, and you enjoy the metal-twisting power of what 1,000 lbs per feet of torque gives you, then give SportChassis a ring and they’ll hook you up with this beast on four wheels.
Mercedes has a model for everyone and every niche – small cars, big cars, SUVs, vans, buses, supercars and the Unimog. The Unimog truly defies a complete explanation. No single consumer can comprehend the myriad of capabilities that these machines possess.
The standard U500 Unimog would have been the ultimate vehicle in the movie Dante’s Peak. If you’ve never seen it, the Unimog would have been racing up a mountainside road covered in volcanic ash, saving the family from lava rushing to destroy their house, fording a river on the way back down while using its winch to save a puny National Guard Hummvee – all in a day’s work.
So why would Brabus want to create a version of this car? Brabus has been making the fastest and most prestigious Mercedes vehicles for years and if they are willing to take the Smart car and give it a makeover then the Unimog should also have its moment of glory.
Hit the jump for more details on the Brabus Unimog.
Off-road tuning company XPLORE Vehicles already has a very strong fleet of modified vehicles from its Venchurs XPLORE Adventure Series. Now, they’re getting ready to introduce the latest members of the family after the company laid out the plans for the Jeep line-up of vehicles.
In choosing from four levels of equipment – STAGE 1 to 4 - families can experience the thrill of the outdoors with a feature-heavy Jeep that can cater to a lot of outdoor needs.
According to XPLORE, the Stage 1 XPLORE Adventure Series will be made
available for all models where as Stages 2, 3, and 4 will only be available for the Jeep Wrangler.
Details on STAGE 1, 2, and 3 wasn’t mentioned in the press release with the only exception being the Stage 4 XPLORE H.E.R.O. Jeep Wrangler, which comes with an array of features including OME suspension, rock-rails, locking differentials, IPF lighting, super heavy-duty bumpers, roof-rack, air compressors, and an on-board refrigerator.
On top of that, other notable additions to the vehicle as part of the Stage 4 package include a special Katzkin-sourced XPLORE leather and suede interior, a Magnaflow stainless steel performance exhaust system, a set of XPLORE special issue graphite aluminum wheels that comes with BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A® KM2 tires, and warn winch and special edition badges on both the exterior and interior of the car.
Mansory is a tuner usual known for their impressive tuning packages for sports car models. But this time they turned their attention to a model a little bit more unusual, for them at least: the Mercedes G-Class. While there are no changes made under the hood, Mansory focused on improving the car’s ride comfort that ha always been a problem.
For that the tuner added a new suspension which is electronically adjustable from the cockpit, with two different characteristic shock absorber curves. After fitting, the shock absorbers can be readjusted from the interior of the car for use on tough terrain or for a comfortable drive on metaled roads. There are extra large gas reservoirs, made from high tensile hard anodized aluminum that ensure that the pressure remains constant even at operating temperatures of over 150 °C.
Next to this improvements the car also gets a new set of light alloy wheels, and on request different interior updates.
It seems a little odd that a rugged off-road vehicle like a Jeep Wrangler could be dressed up – as far as the interior is concerned – to the nines. But that’s what Jeep was able to do with the Wrangler 70th Anniversary Edition.
As part of their 70th anniversary celebration, Jeep has decided to roll out special edition models for five of their SUVs: the Compass, Grand Cherokee, Liberty, Patriot, and Wrangler SUVs. Each of the SUVs will come with their own interior upgrades, despite the fact that no exterior modifications and performance tune-ups were made on these vehicles.
Anybody interested in scooping up the special edition Wrangler, and the other variant models, will be glad to know that the brand is set to release the SUVs by the first quarter this year. Color options for all five models will include Bronze Star, Bright Silver, and Black.
Details on the Jeep Wrangler 70th Anniversary Edition after the jump
The 2011 Geneva Motor Show is still four whole months away, but the dreamers over at Rinspeed are already preparing their newest concept set to be revealed in Switzerland. Looking like a cross between a Scion xB and a Jeep Wrangler, loosely speaking, the Rinspeed BamBoo appears to be the perfect beach-going vehicle.
Since the vehicle is called BamBoo, it’s easy to guess that the material will be found somewhere in the workings of the car. Rinspeed states that bamboo fibers are a part of major components of the interior, but we’ll probably have to wait for Geneva to get more information. In fact, we’ll have to wait until the Geneva Motor Show in March to find out a lot about this open-top vehicle. The only other information we could pull from the press release is that, if produced, this vehicle will more than likely be electric for that little bit of modernization needed for this retro design.
The Rinspeed BamBoo - described by Rinspeed as a "grown-up golf cart" - isn’t really our type of car which is made apparently clear with the statement made at the end of the press release...
"Anyone not blinded by horsepower orgies, chrome tinsel, and top-speed frenzy should take a closer look." If that statement didn’t describe us to a Tee then we would think this car was pretty cool.
Startech is going to arrive at the Essen Motorshow with a tuning package for one of the oldest models in the world: the Land Rover Defender. The package is called the Yachting Edition and features a bright white exterior paint job with a premium leather/Alcantara interior dyed navy blue.
While the exterior only gets new running boards with integrated entrance lights and wider tires, the interior gets a complete overhaul. For starters, Startech has found the finest navy blue leather with contrasting seams and applied them to the door and side panels. The same treatment has also been applied to the dashboard, center console, and the Recaro sport seats.
The headliner is made from Alcantara dyed the same color as the leather appointments. The tuner also added an ergonomically shaped sport steering wheel, shifter, emergency brake, and reduction gear lever all covered with navy-blue leather and a Yachting Edition plaque on the center console. These additions don’t really add much of a nautical flair until you look down and see the oiled teak stretching the length of the vehicle.
Aside from the aesthetic changes provided to the Defender, the SUV also gets a high-end sound system with an integrated touch screen navigation system.
